London: a brain dump
Look, you have to understand: the ratio of time away from London doesn't stack up to the amount of time I spent there just yet. So while I do have recommendations, I'm still too close to the city to fully parse them in an orderly manner, and this brain dump is the best you'll get. I'm sorry, I guess? But enjoy!
Pricier restaurants
Hakkasan: fusion food-y, Asian restaurant just off of Oxford Street. It isn’t the most incredible restaurant ever but a good, fancy staple with excellent drinks
Circolo popolare: you might get slightly ambushed by the sheer amount of micro-influencers photographing their dinner there, but I’d recommend you dig into yours, because it’ll be good
Ferdi: ironically a French restaurant, although I’ve never been to the Paris one.
Frenchie: because the best thing about London is the French cuisine – but Gregory Marchand’s British establishment is well worth a visit, especially if you’re craving a good wine
Cecconi’s: a classic and the place I used to plop myself at on a Sunday for Carciofi alla giudea and an hour of writing, if you’re lucky you’ll spot Hugh Grant on a date with obscenely young women there too
Palomar: incredible Israeli restaurant. It’s tiny, so you should definitely book your reservations in advance, but sometimes I daydream of their bread
Barbary: Palomar’s sister restaurant, the communal bar table is a great setting and the menu is slightly more ‘grown up’
NOPI: Ottolenghi’s more upscale restaurant, I love the menu and wine selection
Bocca di Lupo: my friend Vi’s favorite, really great Italian spot
Spring: located in Somerset House, the menu is incredibly fresh and new. Highly recommend for special occasions!
Coq d’argent: if for some reason you find yourself in need of a lunch or dinner spot in the city, this is a great option. Good view and good food – don’t love their white wine selection though!
Pique Nique: this restaurant is physically hard to find, because it’s tucked away in a park in Bermondsey. That said, it’s absolutely delicious and super pretty. Food is meant to be shared and we loved the fish. The wine list was also amazing.
Normal (?) range restaurants
Pachamama: great Peruvian restaurant with a cute evening ambiance
Ceviche soho: awesome pisco sours and, like it says on the tin, ceviches and at the heart of soho
Jikoni: modern Indian cuisine, perfect for brunch
Opso: cute Greek restaurant. The fried cheese is a must
Delamina: mid-range Israeli cuisine, great fish options
Caravan: great brunch or date night spot
Mon Plaisir: traditional French restaurant with an all-french staff, it’s where I used to go whenever I was homesick. Definitely have a digestif, their calvados options are great!
Bancone: solid Italian food in a very cute setting
Authentique: French wine bar with great cheese options
Flour & grape: AMAZING Italian, the only downside being you’ll have to queue for a while before you can get a table
Mercato Metropolitano: super fun food court-y area with great food trucks (I’m especially a fan of the arepas) and an outdoor area that’s perfect for sunny days
Padella: another incredible Italian, another restaurant that you’ll have to queue for a while before you can eat at. But it’s just off of Borough market so you can entertain yourself with all of the nearby bars!
The Ivy: a chain of solid British restaurants with (typically) great fish options and a full vegan menu
Afternoon teas
Sketch: a bit of a tourist trap and the service isn’t great but it is an incredibly visually appealing space and their tea selection isn’t bad
Pret a Portea at the Berkeley hotel: very cute and fun if you’re into fashion. On the pricier side of teas but certainly worth it, the menu switches every season to showcase iconic pieces from select designers, reinterpreted as cake
Fortnum and Mason’s tearoom: book it in advance, but it’s a solid classic with exceptional service
Art afternoon tea at the Rosewood: probably my favorite tea option, but of course it would be. The Rosewood is beautiful, art-inspired cakes are both creative and delicious – the works!
Drinks
Discount Suit Company: very much an emotional favorite because I went there way too often with my friends Fang and Aviv, but this cozy little speakeasy has great ambience, a DJ called Eli Jacob Silverman who, despite appearances, is NOT Jewish, and a great selection of cocktails.
Purl London: another speakeasy-ish place, solid cocktails and very practical if you’re working near Marylebone, which you probably will be!
Opium: yes, speakeasys are a trend with me. Set in the heart of Chinatown, this place has both amazing cocktails and incredible dim sum. A must-go!
La bodega negra: you’ll have to walk through a sex shop to get into this one, but the pisco sours and music make it worth it.
Oriole: the location for this bar is a little awkward, but I love the sheer breadth of their cocktail menu and the truly eclectic live music they have on
Bedales: my go-to wine bar in London bridge, both excellent wines and great small plates
Mr Fogg’s: this one has a few different locations. Their gin parlor is great (although, as a gin lover, I’m probably biased)
Dandelyan: experimental cocktails in a zero-waste committed kitchen
The Vault at Milroy’s: very cozy speakeasy in the heart of soho with great whisky cocktails
The holy trinity of members clubs: Annabel’s, Isabel’s, Loulou’s, for a fun night out with extremely posh bankers pretending they get edginess for the night. This sounds passive aggressive, but some of my favorite parties have been in those clubs
Evening activities
Ronnie Scotts: an establishment of London jazz!
Bridge Theatre: experimental theatre near Tower Bridge with some of the most fun staging I’ve ever experienced
Sadler’s Wells: an institution for modern dance performances
The Almeida Theatre: I’ve only ever come out of there with a pit at the bottom of my stomach, but Almeida’s strand of incredibly emotionally intense theatre is right up my alley
Royal Albert Hall: a true establishment of British music, you should absolutely check out the Proms if you’re in London during summer!
West end musicals: I went to way too few of these when in London, so my specific recommendations are worthless, but they’re definitely a lot of fun and in a great area of the city!
Harold Pinter theatre: a relatively classic institution which has invested in new and emerging playwrights, I’ve seen some incredibly refreshing plays there
Mestizo: super fun Mexican club which I think is only open on Thursdays. Highly recommend!
For those of you who want a club: egg, concrete, fabric are great techno options; ministry of sound is more mainstream, as is XOYO
If you’re doing an Esther pilgrimage: Zoo Bar. It’s terrible in every possible way, but that’s where LSE’s student nights were held and therefore where you could find me every Wednesday for 3 years
Museums / daytime activities
Barbican: a multi-media arts space, great for concerts, exhibitions and the outdoor areas!
Tate Britain and Tate Modern: they’re in opposite parts of the city but tend to have extremely well curated exhibitions. If you go to the Tate Modern, stop by the Rothko room in the permanent collection – it’s my favorite space in the world
White Cube Bermondsey: as with any contemporary art space, exhibitions can be hit or miss but it’s a small space off of a great street, so at worst you’ve lost 15 minutes out of your Bermondsey Street tour and at best you discover some great new artist in a beautiful setting!
Royal Academy of Arts: a classic, they tend to have 2-3 good exhibitions on at any given time. If you’re there, stop by Pace gallery located right behind them
Serpentine galleries: especially in summer, when sculpture commissions go up around hyde park, highly recommend!
Newport Street gallery: owned by Damien Hirst who is, you know, not my favorite, but a genuinely engaging art space
Saatchi gallery: a little out of the way but surrounded by a ton of great brunch spot options, a private art space that’s worth checking out
Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre: in summer, a great daytime activity if you love musical theater but don’t want to stay indoors. They have 2 shows per season, so pick well, but a great space!
Aire London: I’ll be really jealous, because Aire is my favorite massage spot in the world and I didn’t get to visit their new London location before I moved, but you should absolutely be visiting this. The concept is a spa with roman baths and it’s the perfect recipe for relaxation!
Areas to walk around
Columbia road flower market
Camden canal & market
South bank from Tower Bridge to Westminster Bridge
Bermondsey Street & Borough Market
Brick Lane and Shoreditch: stop by the oldest and best bagel shop in the city in Brick Lane, then walk around vintage shops and pretty street art
Primrose hill
Hampstead Heath
Soho
Hyde Park, galleries, St James’ Park and Buckingham Palace
South Kensington
Notting Hill & Portobello Market on weekends